Collaboration and Power in Sweden’s Bioeconomy Innovation System

Philipp Jonas Kreutzer

2024-09-24

RQ

New Focus

1. What explains the decline of innovation in the forest-based bioeconomy?

Old Focus

2. How collaborative is the innovation system?

3. Which innovation system actors exercise most power?

Data From SWINNO Database

Significant Swedish Innovations

~ 5000 unique innovations

Literature-Based Innovation Output method

from 15 independent trade journals (Sjöö et al., 2014)

Stating collaborations

Firm aggregation a challenge

Example Page From a Source Article

Definition of Bioeconomy

Results

Output and Innovation Producers Declined

2024-09-05T20:39:50.415096 image/svg+xml Matplotlib v3.9.1, https://matplotlib.org/
Figure 1: Nodes, Average Degree and Innovation Output Over Time for Bioeconomy Innovations and SWINNO Innovations.

ICT Increases, Traditional Machinery Decreases Innovation Production

2024-09-24T09:53:36.099027 image/svg+xml Matplotlib v3.9.1, https://matplotlib.org/
Figure 2: Producing Sector’s Share of Bioeconomy Innovation Within Sector to Total Innovation (5 YMA)

Share of Total Bioeconomy

No Uniform Trend in Use Sectors Drive of Bioeconomy Innovation

2024-09-24T09:52:00.629249 image/svg+xml Matplotlib v3.9.1, https://matplotlib.org/
Figure 3: Use Sector’s Share of Bioeconomy Innovation Within Sector to Total Bioeconomy Innovation (5 YMA)

Share of Total

Innovation Novelty From Firm Perspective

2024-09-24T11:24:01.020177 image/svg+xml Matplotlib v3.9.1, https://matplotlib.org/
Figure 4: Innovation Novelty From Firm Perspective For Bioeconomy And Other Innovation

Bioeconomy Innovation Producer Network Summary

Network Nodes Links Average Degree Density
1970-1983 87 64 1.47 0.02
1984-1990 52 40 1.54 0.03
1991-2008 78 65 1.67 0.02
2009-2021 35 27 1.54 0.05
Total 231 196 1.70 0.01

The Innovation Producer Network Was Highly Fragmented

Figure 5: Network of bioeconomy collaboration over time. Gray circles indicate final network.

Embedded network Disaggregated network

Theoretical Framework

Typology of Power Relations (Avelino, 2011, p. 75)
Relation Type Manifestation of Power Relations
More / Less Power
 Cooperation
A exercises more power than B, but collective goals
 Competition
A exercises more power than B, but mutually exclusive goals
 Co-existence
A exercises more power than B, independent co-existent goals

(Avelino & Rotmans, 2009, 2011)

Most Powerful Bioeconomy Innovation Producers Included Sweden’s Biggest Companies

Which are more active producing innovation for non-bioeconomy purposes

2024-09-05T20:39:51.261512 image/svg+xml Matplotlib v3.9.1, https://matplotlib.org/
Figure 6: Innovation Experience of 10 Most Connected Actors.

Take Aways

  1. Swedish bioeconomy innovation is declining relative to total innovation

  2. Bioeconomy innovation producer network highly fragmented and shrinking after 1980

  3. Most powerful innovation producers more active outside bioeconomy

References

Avelino, F. (2011). Power in Transition: Empowering Discourses on Sustainability Transitions. https://repub.eur.nl/pub/30663
Avelino, F., & Rotmans, J. (2009). Power in Transition: An Interdisciplinary Framework to Study Power in Relation to Structural Change. European Journal of Social Theory, 12(4), 543–569. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368431009349830
Avelino, F., & Rotmans, J. (2011). A dynamic conceptualization of power for sustainability research. Journal of Cleaner Production, 19(8), 796–804. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2010.11.012
Sjöö, K., Taalbi, J., Kander, A., & Ljungberg, J. (2014). A Database of Swedish Innovations, 1970-2007. Lund Papers in Economic History, General Issues(133), 77.

Appendix

Producing Sectors Total of Bioeconomy

2024-09-24T09:56:07.941648 image/svg+xml Matplotlib v3.9.1, https://matplotlib.org/
Figure 7: Share of Bioeconomy Innovation to Total Bioeconomy Innovation By Producing Sector

Share of Total

Use Sectors Total of Bioeconomy

2024-09-24T09:52:03.613793 image/svg+xml Matplotlib v3.9.1, https://matplotlib.org/
Figure 8: Share of Bioeconomy Innovation to Total Bioeconomy Innovation By Use Sector

Share of Total

Bioeconomy Degree Distribution

2024-09-05T20:39:50.794395 image/svg+xml Matplotlib v3.9.1, https://matplotlib.org/ Bioeconomy network

Embedded Network

Figure 9: Network of all innovation in database. For better clarity, only nodes with more than 1 collaboration are shown. Sizes of individual nodes correspond with cumulated total innovation. Fill color shows a company’s share of innovation within the bioeconomy compared to its total innovation in SWINNO data. Collaborations resulting in a bioeconomy innovation are highlighted in color.

Bioeconomy network

The 10 Most Connected Nodes – Disaggregated

Network Nodes Links Average Degree Density
1970-1983 94 75 1.60 0.02
1984-1990 63 68 2.16 0.03
1991-2008 97 100 2.06 0.02
2009-2021 85 116 2.73 0.03
Total 318 359 2.26 0.01

Bioeconomy Network – Disaggregated

Bioeconomy network

Embedded Network – Disaggregated

Figure 11: Network of all innovation in database. For better clarity, only nodes with more than 1 collaboration are shown. Sizes of individual nodes correspond with cumulated total innovation. Fill color shows a company’s share of innovation within the bioeconomy compared to its total innovation in SWINNO data. Collaborations resulting in a bioeconomy innovation are highlighted in color.

Data – Defining the Bioeconomy

Table 1: Key Sectors Used in Query
SNI Code Description
02 Forestry and related services
20 Wood and wood product manufacturing except furniture
21 Pulp, paper and paper product manufacturing
36 Furniture manufacturing; other manufacturing
Table 2: Swedish Keywords used in Query: WHERE description LIKE %keyword% OR ...
Swedish English
virke timber
cellulos cellulose
lignin lignin
spån chip
bark bark
levulinsyra levulinic acid
furfural furfural
svarttjära black tar
svartlut black liquor
växtbas plant-based
ved wood
trä timber
skog forest
biobränsle biofuel
biologiskt biological
nedbrytbar biodegradable
papper paper
karton carton
lyocell lyocell

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